


Change

by WinterHoneybee



Category: Justice League - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 02:30:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13137237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterHoneybee/pseuds/WinterHoneybee
Summary: An AU where no one is a superhero and they’re just two normal dudes. I guess.





	Change

**Author's Note:**

> If there’s any grammar or spelling errors,I apologize. I’m typing this on my phone and I wrote it on a whim, so that’s why! If you guys enjoyed this I’ll add another chapter talking about what happens next, and will probably address some of Victors past, if you guys want!

“You know, I never thought I’d see you around here.”, a voice said, as Victor Stone jumped up in surprise, his notebooks scattered across the gym floor.

  
“I have to take my pe and health credit sometime, Allen.”, he said solemnly, shaking his head. He had always wondered why he was friends with someone with the likes of Barry Allen. The two of them were stellar opposites. Barry Allen was the fastest runner on both the school cross country and track team, and practically radiated good spirits. He had many friends, and was easily the most popular guy in the school. He had a girlfriend too, a girl named Iris West, three years going on four. Victor Stone, found himself to be quite the opposite. He didn’t have an athletic bone in his body, nor the popularity Barry had. Not only that, but he radiated loneliness, something no one wanted to surround themselves with.

  
Except for Barry Allen.

  
***

  
_**Three Years Ago...**_

 

“You know, I think you like being beat to shit.”, Barry laughed, as he bent down and picked Victor’s books up with a single arm, his other arm outstretched towards Victor, offering his hand. Victor gladly took it, and Barry pulled him back to his feet.

  
“It’s not anything I can help, nor change.”, Victor sighed, as he snatched his books back from Barry, and stuffed them back into his backpack. He wanted to get out of here, maybe even more so than normal.

  
“What makes you say that?”, Barry asked, cocking his head to the side, an amused smile on his face, as he leaned towards the nearest locker, hands shoved in his pockets, staring at Victor. Victor felt himself flush, as he debated on whether he should answer at all.

  
“I’m out of here in three years, that’s all I need to endure. Three years, and I never see this town or anyone from here again.”, Victor huffed, as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. Barry’s expression softened, only for a moment before he smiled again, easygoing, as always.

  
“I hope you meet your goal.”, he smiled, “You seem smart enough to get out of state.”

  
Victor stopped for a moment, his mouth opened in surprise, as no one had ever complimented him on his intellect. In fact, the only seemed to call him out for it, shaming him endlessly.

  
This was a change, but not a bad one, in Victor’s opinion.

  
Barry laughed, as he slapped himself upside the head, “I forgot to introduce myself!”, he called out, as he extended his hand once more, for a handshake this time, “Barry Allen.”

  
Victor shook it firmly, “Victor Stone.”

  
***  
“You did better than I thought you would have.”, Barry complimented, as he was gasping for breath. He had dragged Victor out on one of his practice runs, as though Victor had a chance in keeping up with him.

  
“I don’t know, I fear I died about three blocks ago.”, Victor smiled, catching his breath for a moment, as Barry laughed.

  
“That would be a tragedy, and a waste of life.”, Barry smiled, as he clapped a hand on Victor’s shoulder, “Thanks for running with me today, it means a lot, you know.”

  
“Oh?”, Victor asked, surprised as he raised an eyebrow, “Why is that?”

  
Barry sighed, as he looked at the stoplight, although his eyes showed a certain depth to them, as though he were looking at something beyond.

  
Silence.

  
“Are you free later on today? I’ll tell you then.”, Barry finally said, swallowing nervously, as his blue eyes met with Victor’s brown ones.

  
Victor nodded, as Barry gave him another one of his easy-going smiles.

  
***

  
“Iris and I broke up.”, Barry announced suddenly, as the two of them huddled into a booth in the corner, far away from any others in the cafe. Victor’s eyes widened, too shocked for words.

  
“Why?”, was the only words he seemed capable to say at the moment, his eyes still bulging out of his head.

  
“We just didn’t click like we used to, I guess.” Barry said in between chews of his sandwich, looking up at the lights above them thoughtfully, “I mean, people always seem to change don’t they?”

  
Victor nodded, thinking through Barry’s words, “Understandable.”

  
“But enough about me, I guess. I’ll recover from this somehow, I always do.”, Barry smiled, his cheeks bulging with the amount of food he had stored in them. He chewed quickly and swallowed, “How are you? Scholarship going along fine?”

  
“It’s… alright.”, Victor admitted, his tone slow and cautious. Perhaps Barry was onto something, something Victor just couldn’t quite place. But his way to a scholarship out of state was on track, perfectly, even. Colleges were scouting and rooting for him, even now.

  
“That’s good.”, Barry said finally, chewing his food thoroughly this time, “I’m glad, that you’re getting what you want.”

  
He took his napkin and crumpled it, leaving it on top of his plate. Sighing, Barry stood up, smiling, gesturing to his phone. He had a phone call coming in. Victor nodded.

  
And while Barry was gone, Victor had a moment to think.

  
Was he really on the right track? Was this really what he wanted?

  
Everything was becoming confusing.

  
***  
Graduation day.

  
Graduation day was here, and Victor Stone didn’t know what to do about it.

  
He had gotten the scholarship he had dreamed of for years, ever since he was that “annoying freshman nerd with the superiority complex”. Full ride too.

  
“I don’t believe in miracles.” he said, once he cleared his throat, facing the crowd. He scanned the audience, at the rest of the graduates and their parents as well, his heart hollowing, as he found his final words. These would be the final words he would ever say, the final words the people of this town would ever hear. The final words before he would disappear forever.

  
“I don’t believe in fate either. But that didn’t stop me, nor should it stop anyone else from reaching their goals.”, he bit his lip, looking down at the pile of index cards he had prepared, “But I believe in human intuition, that we can carry on and adapt to everything around us, even when it suddenly changes. I used to be alone, back in my freshman year. But then I wasn’t, and at first it may have been odd, but it didn’t stop me from adapting to it. Thanks to my friends, or rather, friend, This high school experience was something special, even if I wasn’t the one with the flashiest cars, or the best girl, or anything like that.”

  
Victor looked out at the audience once again, as he stashed the index cards into the sleeve of his robe. He didn’t need them, “What I’m trying to say is, maybe things don’t have to go our way, but I’m certain that our graduates, myself included, can adapt to anything the world may throw at us, whether it be a bad job, or something far worse. I’m proud to say that I went to school with these people, and I hope in the future you can say you’re proud of us as well.”

  
The crowd went wild, but Victor only had eyes for one person.

  
***

  
**_Ten years later..._**

“If you’d move my meeting with Dr.Smith later on in the evening, I believe I could make room for the test run today, rather than wait another week.”, Victor said solemnly, as his assistant nodded, already tapping away on her tablet, moving his schedule accordingly.

  
“Will that be all, Mr.Stone?”, she asked politely, as Victor nodded, giving her a small smile.

  
“You’re dismissed. Take your lunch break, if you will.”, Victor said, as he got up out of his seat, at ease. His assistant nodded, and walked out of the room, waving at a group of young scientists, her friends, no doubt.

  
Victor looked around at his office, which connected into his lab. He sighed. He had gotten everything he dreamed of. He went out of state, and had practically never looked back at the small town he grew up in. No one had come looking for him, save his immediate family. After all, why would they? He was Victor Stone, untouchable in every way.

  
He put on his coat, making sure to cover up his prosthetic arms. It had been a freak of nature, that he recovered from that dreadful car accident five years ago. The doctors had already marked him down as dead, until one of the team had decided the option of prosthetics. A lot. Victor felt more machine than robot, once he had regained his consciousness.

  
It was still something he tried to get used to.

  
He walked out of the building, and allowed himself to get lost in the rhythm of the street, and submerged himself onto the flow of people walking up and down the busy street, all of them chattering, all of them walking fast towards their destinations.

  
He stopped in front of a diner, and parted ways with the mass of people, as he entered, the familiar scents and the clinks of forks on the plates reached his senses. He had always loved this diner, as it had reminded him of the cafe back at his town.

  
Taking his usual seat by the window, Victor propped open the menu, not having to look at it for long; he already knew what he wanted. He raised his hand, signaling for a waiter. As he waited for a waiter to come by, he stared at the window, at the ongoing mass of people traveling on the street.  
Suddenly, a voice pulled him out of his trance.

  
“Hi, My name is Barry Allen and I’ll be serving you today. What would you like to order?”, a warm voice asked as Victor nearly froze. He turned slowly, his face full of confusion and shock.

  
Barry Allen. His best friend, the one who had been there for him since freshman year.

  
Barry seemed to remember him as well, as he dropped his pad and pen, his mouth wide open.

  
Then he laughed, and slid comfortably into the chair opposite of Victor.

  
“Victor, is that really you?”, he asked, his eyes twinkling, a smile plastered on his face. Victor nodded, words unable to find him.

  
“Dude, how have you been?”, Barry asked, talking a little too fast, just like he always had back at high school. Victor twiddled his (artificial) thumbs, smiling.

  
“I’ve been good. And you?”, he asked, trying to make polite conversation, “I never thought you would be working here, of all places.”

  
Barry laughed, “I’m not supposed to take that as an insult, should I?” He shrugged, good-naturedly, still smiling, “I guess I just like to be quick on my feet all the time, that’s all.”

  
Victor nodded, trying to collect his next words, but Barry spoke once more.

  
“Man, you have to tell me all the stories about what’s been going on so far!”, Barry exclaimed, looking as though Christmas had come early.

  
Victor stared at Barry, his cheeks beginning to flush. He supposed ten years wasn’t enough to change a man. In both of their situations.

  
“How about coffee? Or brunch? No, not brunch.”, Barry began to ramble now, “Brunch is disgusting, a true nightmare. What about dinner? Or is that too fancy?” His cheeks began to show a light pink color, and Victor smiled, genuinely smiled.

  
“Coffee is fine, thank you.”, Victor cut in, as Barry stopped and looked up, shocked, “eight? I should be finishing work around then.”

  
Barry nodded, his head practically a blur, as he smiled.

  
“Great, can’t wait!”, Barry exclaimed, standing up and picking up his pad and paper. His eyes scanned the room, as he spotted another family with their hands up, waiting for one of the waiters. He waved at Victor, then did a mock-salute. Victor laughed.

  
Victor didn’t even notice that Barry had forgotten to serve him, until he was back at his workplace.

  
Maybe this was another change he could adapt to, after all, if his freshman self could do it, he was confident that his adult self could do the same.

 


End file.
